Today in the 1770s: October 11

WILLIAMSBURG, October 11, 1776.
The GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the free and independent State of Virginia met at the Capitol, in this city, on Monday last.
Sunday last, THOMAS JEFFERSON, Esq; a Delegate for this colony in Continental Congress, arrived here from Philadelphia, and on Tuesday set out for his seat in Albemarle.
We hear that BENJAMIN HARRISON, Esq; of Berkeley, is chosen a Delegate in Congress, in the room of Thomas Jefferson, Esq; resigned.

About this entry:

Ever a Virginian, in 1776 Jefferson was not interested in national affairs and returned to Virginia in August of that year. He declined appointment to the mission to France in October in order to join the Virginia Assembly in Williamsburg where he championed the principles of the Declaration of Independence by introducing legislation to abolish entail and primogeniture, lower property qualifications for voters, establish public education and promote religious freedom.

About

Intended to provide a glimpse into the breadth of subject matter in the Gazette, excerpts from the 18th-century Virginia Gazette have been chosen for every day of the year and annotated by staff of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.

Each entry reflects an event that
happened on a particular day (or something published on a particular day).